US20090298335A1 - Connector Shield Termination in Limited Clearance Installations - Google Patents
Connector Shield Termination in Limited Clearance Installations Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20090298335A1 US20090298335A1 US12/128,770 US12877008A US2009298335A1 US 20090298335 A1 US20090298335 A1 US 20090298335A1 US 12877008 A US12877008 A US 12877008A US 2009298335 A1 US2009298335 A1 US 2009298335A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- shield
- retainer
- cable
- base
- termination
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H05K9/00—Screening of apparatus or components against electric or magnetic fields
- H05K9/0007—Casings
- H05K9/0018—Casings with provisions to reduce aperture leakages in walls, e.g. terminals, connectors, cables
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
- H01R13/648—Protective earth or shield arrangements on coupling devices, e.g. anti-static shielding
- H01R13/658—High frequency shielding arrangements, e.g. against EMI [Electro-Magnetic Interference] or EMP [Electro-Magnetic Pulse]
- H01R13/6591—Specific features or arrangements of connection of shield to conductive members
- H01R13/65912—Specific features or arrangements of connection of shield to conductive members for shielded multiconductor cable
- H01R13/65914—Connection of shield to additional grounding conductors
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02G—INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES, OR OF COMBINED OPTICAL AND ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES
- H02G15/00—Cable fittings
- H02G15/02—Cable terminations
- H02G15/06—Cable terminating boxes, frames or other structures
- H02G15/064—Cable terminating boxes, frames or other structures with devices for relieving electrical stress
- H02G15/068—Cable terminating boxes, frames or other structures with devices for relieving electrical stress connected to the cable shield only
Definitions
- LRUs line replaceable units
- a mounting tray within the vehicle and electrically connected to the vehicle by engaging a connector on the rear side of the LRU with a tray connector on the mounting tray.
- the rear side of the tray connector is connected to a number of cables that are routed away from the tray to the applicable vehicle system.
- Each cable typically includes numerous wires that are connected to the tray connector and at least one electrically conductive shield or braid that offers protection from electromagnetic emissions, electromagnetic susceptibility, and electromagnetic crosstalk between wires of one or more cables.
- the shields must be properly terminated at the tray connector.
- the signal wire connections and the shield terminations are covered by backshells, which are covers that are mounted to the rear of the tray connectors to provide protection from physical contact, to provide protection from electromagnetic interference (EMI) from outside sources, and to prevent electromagnetic emissions from the cable wires.
- Electrically conductive cable overbraid shields are terminated to the backshells to protect from EMI and prevent electromagnetic emissions throughout the entire cable.
- the tray connectors and corresponding backshells are typically configured parallel with a rear cabinet wall so that the connectors on the rear of the LRUs may easily engage the tray connectors at the rear of the cabinet.
- the cables connected to the rear sides of the tray connectors must traverse the cabinet space between the mounting trays and the adjacent cabinet wall parallel to the cabinet wall and then turn 90 degrees to enter the backshell of the tray connector.
- a shield termination fixture includes a base with at least one insert aperture, a retainer, and a mechanism for terminating cable shields.
- the base is configured to connect to a tray connector.
- the base forms at least one insert aperture that allows for the passage of a cable through the base to the tray connector for installation of a signal wire within the cable to the connector.
- the cable includes one or more shields for controlling electromagnetic emissions, electromagnetic susceptibility, and electrical crosstalk between wires of the cable or between cables.
- the retainer is configured to compress the shield of the cable between the base and the retainer for termination.
- a cable shield such as an overbraid shield or braidsock, is used to encompass the cable as it enters the shield termination fixture to minimize EMI on the cable from outside sources and to prevent electromagnetic emissions from the wires within the cable.
- the cable shield is terminated at the shield termination fixture according to one or more mechanisms.
- the mechanism for terminating the cable shield includes soldering or otherwise fixedly attaching the cable shield to the retainer or to a cable shield retainer.
- the mechanism for terminating the cable shield includes compressing the cable shield between the retainer and a cable shield retainer.
- a method for terminating a cable at a connector includes routing the cable through an insert aperture within a base of a shield termination fixture.
- a signal wire of the cable is attached to the connector.
- a shield of the cable is positioned over a top surface of the base of the shield termination fixture.
- a retainer is positioned over the top surface of the base and secured to the base, compressing the shield between the base and the retainer.
- a cable shield may be installed around the cable entering the shield termination fixture and terminated through compression or soldering.
- a shield termination fixture includes a base, a shield retainer, and a cable shield retainer.
- the base includes a number of walls that define insert apertures for passage of a cable through the base to an attached tray connector.
- the shield retainer is configured to mate with a top surface of one or more base walls and provides for compression of a shield between the shield retainer and the base.
- the cable shield retainer is positioned over the shield retainer so that the shield retainer is between the cable shield retainer and the base. The cable shield retainer provides for the termination of a cable shield that surrounds the cable as it enters the shield termination fixture.
- FIG. 1 is a side view of an LRU mounted in an electronics cabinet of an aircraft according to various embodiments presented herein;
- FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an installed shield termination fixture according to various embodiments presented herein;
- FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view along line A-A of a portion of the installed shield termination fixture of FIG. 2A according to various embodiments presented herein;
- FIG. 2C is an exploded view of the shield termination fixture shown in FIG. 2A according to various embodiments presented herein;
- FIG. 3A is an exploded view of an alternative embodiment of a shield termination fixture showing an individual shield retainer and cable shield retainer according to various embodiments presented herein;
- FIG. 3B is an exploded view of an alternative embodiment of a shield termination fixture showing an individual shield retainer and cable shield retainer with an attached cable shield according to various embodiments presented herein;
- FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the installed shield termination fixture of FIG. 3B according to various embodiments presented herein;
- FIG. 4A is a top view of a shield termination fixture utilizing a retainer for each insert aperture for terminating wire shields and cable shields according to various embodiments presented herein;
- FIG. 4B is a top view of a retainer for terminating wire shields and cable shields within the shield termination fixture of FIG. 4A according to various embodiments presented herein;
- FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view along line A-A of the shield termination fixture and retainer shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B according to various embodiments presented herein;
- FIG. 4D is a cross-sectional view along line B-B of the shield termination fixture and retainer shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B according to various embodiments presented herein;
- FIG. 5A is a top view of a shield termination fixture utilizing bar clamp retainers for terminating wire shields and cable shields according to various embodiments presented herein;
- FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view along line A-A of the shield termination fixture and bar clamp retainers shown in FIG. 5A according to various embodiments presented herein;
- FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for terminating a cable at a connector according to various embodiments presented herein.
- tray connectors within aircraft electronics cabinets require physical and electromagnetic protection typically provided by backshells that are electrically connected to the individual wire shields and cable overbraid shields.
- conventional connector backshells utilize a significant amount of limited space between the tray connector and a wall of the electronics cabinet, resulting in inadequate space to route interfacing cabling and maintain required minimum cable bend radii, which consequently increases the difficulty of installation, removal, and maintenance of components within this space.
- a shield termination fixture occupies less space than conventional backshells, provides for decreased entry angles associated with cables entering the fixture, which improves upon the required bend radius of the incoming cables to decrease the amount of space required to turn the cable into the fixture, and provides for efficient termination of wire shields, overbraid shields, and braidsocks that are used to prevent or minimize electrical crosstalk between signal wires and EMI from outside of the cable.
- wire shield may indicate a metal shielding placed around one or more wires within a cable to prevent or minimize crosstalk and/or EMI.
- the term “cable shield” will be used to describe a metallic structure encompassing an entire cable and formed in a mesh, weaved, braided, or other pattern to allow for flexibility and stretching to provide protection to the cable encompassed by the cable shield from EMI.
- a cable shield may be a cable “overbraid shield” or a “braidsock.” Typically, a cable overbraid shield surrounds a cable for the entire length of the cable.
- a braidsock is typically a short segment (i.e., 6-18 inches in length) of cable overbraid shield that may be electrically connected to an end of a cable overbraid shield and terminated at a connector.
- Embodiments described below provide for the termination of a cable shield, whether the cable shield being terminated includes a braidsock or a cable overbraid shield.
- the cable shield will be further described below with respect to FIG. 2A .
- the term “shield” used alone or as “shield of a cable” may be used generally to refer to any shield, including a wire shield, overbraid shield, or braidsock.
- FIG. 1 shows a limited clearance environment 100 to illustrate the environment in which the various embodiments described herein will be utilized.
- a LRU 102 is installed within an electronics cabinet of an aircraft.
- the LRU 102 is slid rearward toward a cabinet wall 112 on a mounting tray 104 until the LRU connector 106 engages a tray connector 110 .
- the clearance depth 108 includes the space between the tray connector 110 and the cabinet wall 112 and must accommodate all of the cables corresponding to the tray connector 110 , as well as other tray connectors 110 corresponding to additional mounting trays 104 that are not shown within the electronics cabinet.
- FIG. 2A shows one embodiment of a shield termination fixture 204 that minimizes the amount of clearance depth 108 utilized to terminate a cable 202 at a tray connector 110 .
- the cable shield 214 may include a braidsock or a cable overbraid. When a braidsock is used, it is electrically connected to the end of the cable overbraid. An opposing end of the braidsock is then terminated at the shield termination fixture 204 .
- the braidsock may be terminated using compression between retainers of the shield termination fixture 204 or by fixedly attaching the braidsock to a retainer. When a braidsock is not used, the cable overbraid extends to and terminates at the shield termination fixture 204 by compressing the cable overbraid between retainers.
- the shield termination fixture 204 includes a base 208 , a wire shield retainer 210 , and a cable shield retainer 212 .
- the base includes any number of walls that create and define a number of insert apertures 206 .
- the insert apertures 206 are holes through which the cables 202 enter the shield termination fixture 204 for connection to the tray connector 110 , which is exposed by the insert apertures 206 .
- the shield termination fixture 204 includes six insert apertures 206 for installation on a connector receiving six cables 202 , such as a common ARINC 600 connector. It should be appreciated that any number of insert apertures 206 may be included within the shield termination fixture 204 according to the tray connector 110 to which it is attached.
- the wire shield retainer 210 is a structure that may be secured to the base 208 for terminating a wire shield 218 between the wire shield retainer 210 and the base 208 as described below with respect to FIG. 2B .
- the wire shield retainer 210 may be formed as a unified piece of material that is substantially the same size and footprint as the base 208 to which it is attached, may be formed in sections to facilitate installation, may be formed as smaller bars or sections having a different footprint when compared to the base 208 to which it is installed, or any combination thereof.
- the cable shield retainer 212 is a structure that may be secured to the base 208 or to the wire shield retainer 210 for terminating a cable shield 214 between the cable shield retainer 212 and the underlying wire shield retainer 210 .
- Various embodiments for terminating the cable shield 214 will be described in detail below.
- FIG. 2C shows an embodiment in which the wire shield retainer 210 and the cable shield retainer 212 are identical in form, mirroring the top surface of the base 208 .
- the two retainers may be secured to the base, one on top of the other, compressing a cable shield 214 and wire shield 218 between the surfaces.
- each component (the base 208 , the wire shield retainer 210 , and the cable shield retainer 212 ) of the shield termination fixture 204 may be manufactured in sections (shown as three sections per component) to facilitate installation. By sectionalizing or splitting the components of the shield termination fixture 204 , each component can be installed or removed without removing disconnecting the cable 202 from the tray connector 110 . It should be appreciated that any number and configuration of sections may be utilized without departing from the scope of this disclosure.
- FIG. 2B shows a partial cross-section along line A-A of a similar shield termination fixture 204 and tray connector 110 as that shown of FIG. 2A .
- the cable 202 includes a signal wire 216 connected to the tray connector 110 and the corresponding wire shield 218 to be terminated.
- the wire shield 218 is positioned between a top surface of the base 208 and a bottom surface of the wire shield retainer 210 . Any number and type of fasteners 220 may be used to secure the wire shield retainer 210 to the base 208 .
- the cable shield 214 may be similarly terminated between the cable shield retainer 212 and the wire shield retainer 210 using additional fasteners 220 .
- the fasteners 220 used for securing the wire shield retainer 210 to the base 208 may be offset from the fasteners 220 used to secure the cable shield retainer 212 to the wire shield retainer 210 and countersunk to prevent interference with the cable shield retainer 212 .
- the configuration of the base 208 , wire shield retainer 210 , and cable shield retainer 212 shown in FIG. 2B is slightly different from that shown in FIG. 2A to illustrate different embodiments of the shield termination fixture 204 .
- the top and bottom surfaces of the wire shield retainer 210 and cable shield retainer 212 are convex and concave, respectively, such that they nest within one another and with the convex top surface of the base 208 when secured with the fastener 220 .
- the surfaces of the components of the shield termination fixture 204 shown in FIG. 2A are flat.
- the various surfaces are shown as being concave/convex and flat, many geometries may be used, including but not limited to wedges and various complementary male and female knurling features.
- the wire shield 218 is terminated immediately adjacent to the insert aperture 206 , keeping the shield short and minimizing undesirable crosstalk between cables.
- the short length of the wire shields 218 being terminated utilizing the embodiments described herein provides an advantage over conventional connector backshells.
- FIG. 2B An additional feature shown in FIG. 2B that is not shown in FIG. 2A is a shield tip protection mechanism 222 for protecting the tips of the wire shield 218 and cable shield 214 from rubbing against another cable, connector, or shield in the electronics cabinet.
- the shield tip protection mechanism 222 includes a projection of the base 208 outwards and then upwards to create a channel in which the shield tips rest. It should be appreciated that the structure of the base 208 may be altered in any manner to prevent the shield tips from exposure without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Similarly, the shield tip protection mechanism 222 may be incorporated into any other component of the shield termination fixture 204 or may be attached to the shield termination fixture 204 .
- FIG. 3A shows an alternative configuration of the shield termination fixture 204 in which the wire shield retainer 210 and the cable shield retainer 212 are sized according to each individual insert aperture 206 . Doing so allows for the installation and removal of a cable 202 and the corresponding wire shield 218 and/or cable shield 214 within a single insert aperture 206 without affecting the cable terminations of cables 202 in other insert apertures 206 .
- the wire shield retainer 210 and the cable shield retainer 212 may be configured in two or more pieces that when installed, form a contiguous, closed loop around the perimeter of the corresponding insert aperture 206 .
- FIG. 3B shows the shield termination fixture 204 configuration described above with respect to FIG. 3A with an alternative cable shield termination mechanism to the compression termination described above.
- the cable shield 214 is fixedly or permanently attached to the cable shield retainer 212 .
- the cable shield 214 may be attached via soldering, conductive adhesive, or any other suitable method for electrically and physically binding the two components. This embodiment allows a technician to utilize a pre-installed cable shield 214 during the cable installation process to simplify the task. As seen in FIG.
- the cable shield 214 is fixedly attached to the cable shield retainer 212 so that the technician only has to electrically connect the braidsock, which is pre-installed on the cable shield retainer, to the cable overbraid shield, connect the signal wire 216 to the tray connector 110 , position the wire shield 218 between the base 208 and the wire shield retainer 210 , secure the wire shield retainer to the base 208 using fasteners 220 , and then secure the cable shield retainer 212 to the wire shield retainer using additional fasteners 220 .
- the cable shield 214 may be attached directly to the wire shield retainer 210 without requiring the use of the cable shield retainer 212 .
- FIGS. 4A-4D An alternative embodiment of a shield termination fixture 204 that utilizes a wire shield retainer 210 without a cable shield retainer 212 is shown in FIGS. 4A-4D .
- FIGS. 4A and 4B show a base 208 and a wire shield retainer 210 that is configured to install within an insert aperture 206 .
- there are six insert apertures 206 each having a wire shield retainer 210 installed with fasteners 220 .
- each fastener 220 may be utilized to secure two adjacent shield retainers 210 to the base 208 .
- FIGS. 4C and 4D are cross-sectional views of the base 208 and wire shield retainer 210 along lines A-A and B-B, respectively, of FIGS.
- FIG. 4A and 4B show termination of the wire shield 218 and the cable shield 214 by compressing the shields between the wire shield retainer 210 and the base 208 .
- FIGS. 5A and 5B Yet another alternative embodiment of the shield termination fixture 204 is shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B .
- This embodiment utilizes male and female engaging surfaces of the base 208 and wire shield retainer 210 such that the wire shield retainer 210 nests within the base 208 , or conversely, such that the base 208 nests within the wire shield retainer 210 .
- the wire shield retainer 210 is configured as one or more bar clamps secured within one or more recesses in the base 208 .
- bar clamps may be configured as linear members or members of various geometry. As one example, the dark lines along the top surface of the base walls surrounding the insert apertures 206 of FIG. 5A show boundaries of various recesses and bar clamps. The bar clamps may be strategically positioned at locations adjacent to the insert apertures 206 for mating with the base 208 and providing compression shield termination.
- routine 600 for terminating a cable 202 at a tray connector 110 in a limited clearance environment will now be described in detail. It should be appreciated that more or fewer operations may be performed than shown in the FIG. 6 and described herein. Moreover, these operations may also be performed in a different order than those described herein.
- the routine 600 begins at operation 602 , where the cable 202 is routed through an insert aperture 206 of the shield termination fixture 204 . From operation 602 , the routine 600 continues to operation 604 , where a signal wire 216 of the cable 202 is connected to the tray connector 110 .
- a wire shield 218 is positioned over a top surface of the base 208 adjacent to the insert aperture 206 .
- the routine 600 continues to operation 608 , where a wire shield retainer 210 is positioned over the top surface of the base 208 for fastening.
- a determination is made as to whether a cable shield retainer 212 is to be used. As described above, according to various embodiments, the cable shield 214 may be terminated at the wire shield retainer 210 rather than utilizing a cable shield retainer 212 .
- the routine 600 proceeds to operation 612 , where a determination is made as to whether the cable shield 214 is pre-installed on the wire shield retainer 210 . As described above, the cable shield 214 may be soldered or otherwise fixedly attached to the wire shield retainer 210 . If a cable shield 214 is pre-installed, then the routine 600 proceeds to operation 620 , where the wire shield retainer 210 is secured to the base 208 with fasteners 220 and the routine 600 ends.
- the routine 600 continues to operation 614 , where it is determined whether a fixed attachment of the cable shield 214 to the wire shield retainer 210 is desired. If a fixed attachment is desired, then the cable shield 214 is installed on the wire shield retainer 210 via soldering or other means at operation 616 . The routine continues to operation 620 , where the wire shield retainer 210 is secured to the base 208 using fasteners 220 and the routine 600 ends.
- routine 600 proceeds to operation 618 , where the cable shield 214 is positioned between the wire shield retainer 210 and the base 208 for compression termination.
- the routine 600 continues from operation 618 to operation 620 , where the wire shield retainer 210 is secured to the base 208 and the routine 600 ends.
- routine 600 proceeds to operation 622 , where a determination is made as to whether the cable shield 214 is pre-installed on the cable shield retainer 212 . If the cable shield 214 is pre-installed, then the routine 600 proceeds to operation 620 , where the cable shield retainer 212 , wire shield retainer 210 , and base 208 are secured together with fasteners 220 and the routine 600 ends.
- routine 600 continues to operation 624 , where it is determined whether a fixed attachment of the cable shield 214 to the cable shield retainer 212 is desired.
- the cable shield 214 is installed on the cable shield retainer 212 via soldering or other means at operation 626 .
- the routine continues to operation 620 , where the cable shield retainer 212 , wire shield retainer 210 , and base 208 are secured together with fasteners 220 and the routine 600 ends.
- the routine 600 proceeds to operation 618 , where the cable shield 214 is positioned between the cable shield retainer 212 and the wire shield retainer 210 for compression termination.
- the routine 600 continues from operation 618 to operation 620 , where the cable shield retainer 212 , wire shield retainer 210 , and base 208 are secured together with fasteners 220 and the routine 600 ends.
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Abstract
Description
- In aircraft and other vehicle applications, electronics are often configured as “boxes” or line replaceable units (LRUs) that may be quickly and easily removed and re-installed to facilitate rapid swapping of malfunctioning LRUs with operational LRUs. Although LRUs can be mounted in a variety of ways, one commonly used method is to mount the LRU in a mounting tray within the vehicle and electrically connected to the vehicle by engaging a connector on the rear side of the LRU with a tray connector on the mounting tray. The rear side of the tray connector is connected to a number of cables that are routed away from the tray to the applicable vehicle system.
- Each cable typically includes numerous wires that are connected to the tray connector and at least one electrically conductive shield or braid that offers protection from electromagnetic emissions, electromagnetic susceptibility, and electromagnetic crosstalk between wires of one or more cables. The shields must be properly terminated at the tray connector. The signal wire connections and the shield terminations are covered by backshells, which are covers that are mounted to the rear of the tray connectors to provide protection from physical contact, to provide protection from electromagnetic interference (EMI) from outside sources, and to prevent electromagnetic emissions from the cable wires. Electrically conductive cable overbraid shields are terminated to the backshells to protect from EMI and prevent electromagnetic emissions throughout the entire cable.
- Space constraints within an aircraft or other vehicle are often significant. As a result, the clearance between a mounting tray and an adjacent cabinet wall may be minimal. To facilitate sliding the LRUs in and out of a vehicle cabinet during removal and installation, the tray connectors and corresponding backshells are typically configured parallel with a rear cabinet wall so that the connectors on the rear of the LRUs may easily engage the tray connectors at the rear of the cabinet. As a result, the cables connected to the rear sides of the tray connectors must traverse the cabinet space between the mounting trays and the adjacent cabinet wall parallel to the cabinet wall and then turn 90 degrees to enter the backshell of the tray connector. The depth of a typical tray connector backshell along with the depth of the required bend radius of a cable to make the 90-degree turn into the backshell while maintaining minimum cable bend radius requirements often consumes the space between the mounting tray and the rear cabinet wall, limiting the clearance for technicians performing installation or maintenance of components within this space.
- It is with respect to these considerations and others that the disclosure made herein is presented.
- It should be appreciated that this Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
- Apparatus and methods described herein provide for the termination of shields within or around a cable in a limited clearance environment. According to one aspect of the disclosure provided herein, a shield termination fixture includes a base with at least one insert aperture, a retainer, and a mechanism for terminating cable shields. The base is configured to connect to a tray connector. The base forms at least one insert aperture that allows for the passage of a cable through the base to the tray connector for installation of a signal wire within the cable to the connector. The cable includes one or more shields for controlling electromagnetic emissions, electromagnetic susceptibility, and electrical crosstalk between wires of the cable or between cables. The retainer is configured to compress the shield of the cable between the base and the retainer for termination.
- A cable shield, such as an overbraid shield or braidsock, is used to encompass the cable as it enters the shield termination fixture to minimize EMI on the cable from outside sources and to prevent electromagnetic emissions from the wires within the cable. The cable shield is terminated at the shield termination fixture according to one or more mechanisms. According to one implementation, the mechanism for terminating the cable shield includes soldering or otherwise fixedly attaching the cable shield to the retainer or to a cable shield retainer. According to another implementation, the mechanism for terminating the cable shield includes compressing the cable shield between the retainer and a cable shield retainer.
- According to another aspect, a method for terminating a cable at a connector includes routing the cable through an insert aperture within a base of a shield termination fixture. A signal wire of the cable is attached to the connector. A shield of the cable is positioned over a top surface of the base of the shield termination fixture. A retainer is positioned over the top surface of the base and secured to the base, compressing the shield between the base and the retainer. A cable shield may be installed around the cable entering the shield termination fixture and terminated through compression or soldering.
- According to yet another aspect, a shield termination fixture includes a base, a shield retainer, and a cable shield retainer. The base includes a number of walls that define insert apertures for passage of a cable through the base to an attached tray connector. The shield retainer is configured to mate with a top surface of one or more base walls and provides for compression of a shield between the shield retainer and the base. The cable shield retainer is positioned over the shield retainer so that the shield retainer is between the cable shield retainer and the base. The cable shield retainer provides for the termination of a cable shield that surrounds the cable as it enters the shield termination fixture.
- The features, functions, and advantages that have been discussed can be achieved independently in various embodiments of the present invention or may be combined in yet other embodiments, further details of which can be seen with reference to the following description and drawings.
-
FIG. 1 is a side view of an LRU mounted in an electronics cabinet of an aircraft according to various embodiments presented herein; -
FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an installed shield termination fixture according to various embodiments presented herein; -
FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view along line A-A of a portion of the installed shield termination fixture ofFIG. 2A according to various embodiments presented herein; -
FIG. 2C is an exploded view of the shield termination fixture shown inFIG. 2A according to various embodiments presented herein; -
FIG. 3A is an exploded view of an alternative embodiment of a shield termination fixture showing an individual shield retainer and cable shield retainer according to various embodiments presented herein; -
FIG. 3B is an exploded view of an alternative embodiment of a shield termination fixture showing an individual shield retainer and cable shield retainer with an attached cable shield according to various embodiments presented herein; -
FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the installed shield termination fixture ofFIG. 3B according to various embodiments presented herein; -
FIG. 4A is a top view of a shield termination fixture utilizing a retainer for each insert aperture for terminating wire shields and cable shields according to various embodiments presented herein; -
FIG. 4B is a top view of a retainer for terminating wire shields and cable shields within the shield termination fixture ofFIG. 4A according to various embodiments presented herein; -
FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view along line A-A of the shield termination fixture and retainer shown inFIGS. 4A and 4B according to various embodiments presented herein; -
FIG. 4D is a cross-sectional view along line B-B of the shield termination fixture and retainer shown inFIGS. 4A and 4B according to various embodiments presented herein; -
FIG. 5A is a top view of a shield termination fixture utilizing bar clamp retainers for terminating wire shields and cable shields according to various embodiments presented herein; -
FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view along line A-A of the shield termination fixture and bar clamp retainers shown inFIG. 5A according to various embodiments presented herein; and -
FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for terminating a cable at a connector according to various embodiments presented herein. - The following detailed description is directed to apparatus and methods for terminating electromagnetic shields and overbraid shields for a cable connected to a connector in limited clearance installations. As discussed briefly above, tray connectors within aircraft electronics cabinets require physical and electromagnetic protection typically provided by backshells that are electrically connected to the individual wire shields and cable overbraid shields. However, conventional connector backshells utilize a significant amount of limited space between the tray connector and a wall of the electronics cabinet, resulting in inadequate space to route interfacing cabling and maintain required minimum cable bend radii, which consequently increases the difficulty of installation, removal, and maintenance of components within this space.
- Utilizing the concepts and technologies described herein, a shield termination fixture occupies less space than conventional backshells, provides for decreased entry angles associated with cables entering the fixture, which improves upon the required bend radius of the incoming cables to decrease the amount of space required to turn the cable into the fixture, and provides for efficient termination of wire shields, overbraid shields, and braidsocks that are used to prevent or minimize electrical crosstalk between signal wires and EMI from outside of the cable.
- Throughout this disclosure, embodiments are described with respect to an electronics cabinet of an aircraft. It should be understood that the concepts presented herein are equally applicable to cable connectors in any system, subsystem, and/or payload of any platform, including aircraft, ships, vehicles, or any other platform in which wire shields, overbraid shields, and/or braidsocks are to be terminated in limited clearance environments.
- Moreover, throughout this disclosure, the term “wire shield” may indicate a metal shielding placed around one or more wires within a cable to prevent or minimize crosstalk and/or EMI. Similarly, the term “cable shield” will be used to describe a metallic structure encompassing an entire cable and formed in a mesh, weaved, braided, or other pattern to allow for flexibility and stretching to provide protection to the cable encompassed by the cable shield from EMI. A cable shield may be a cable “overbraid shield” or a “braidsock.” Typically, a cable overbraid shield surrounds a cable for the entire length of the cable. A braidsock is typically a short segment (i.e., 6-18 inches in length) of cable overbraid shield that may be electrically connected to an end of a cable overbraid shield and terminated at a connector. Embodiments described below provide for the termination of a cable shield, whether the cable shield being terminated includes a braidsock or a cable overbraid shield. The cable shield will be further described below with respect to
FIG. 2A . Finally, the term “shield” used alone or as “shield of a cable” may be used generally to refer to any shield, including a wire shield, overbraid shield, or braidsock. - In the following detailed description, references are made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and which are shown by way of illustration, specific embodiments, or examples. Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals represent like elements through the several figures, shield termination in a limited clearance environment will be described.
FIG. 1 shows alimited clearance environment 100 to illustrate the environment in which the various embodiments described herein will be utilized. As seen inFIG. 1 , aLRU 102 is installed within an electronics cabinet of an aircraft. TheLRU 102 is slid rearward toward acabinet wall 112 on a mountingtray 104 until theLRU connector 106 engages atray connector 110. Theclearance depth 108 includes the space between thetray connector 110 and thecabinet wall 112 and must accommodate all of the cables corresponding to thetray connector 110, as well asother tray connectors 110 corresponding to additional mountingtrays 104 that are not shown within the electronics cabinet. -
FIG. 2A shows one embodiment of ashield termination fixture 204 that minimizes the amount ofclearance depth 108 utilized to terminate acable 202 at atray connector 110. As described above, thecable shield 214 may include a braidsock or a cable overbraid. When a braidsock is used, it is electrically connected to the end of the cable overbraid. An opposing end of the braidsock is then terminated at theshield termination fixture 204. As will be described in detail below, according to various embodiments, the braidsock may be terminated using compression between retainers of theshield termination fixture 204 or by fixedly attaching the braidsock to a retainer. When a braidsock is not used, the cable overbraid extends to and terminates at theshield termination fixture 204 by compressing the cable overbraid between retainers. - According to the embodiment shown in
FIG. 2A , theshield termination fixture 204 includes abase 208, awire shield retainer 210, and acable shield retainer 212. The base includes any number of walls that create and define a number ofinsert apertures 206. The insert apertures 206 are holes through which thecables 202 enter theshield termination fixture 204 for connection to thetray connector 110, which is exposed by theinsert apertures 206. According to the embodiment shown, theshield termination fixture 204 includes sixinsert apertures 206 for installation on a connector receiving sixcables 202, such as acommon ARINC 600 connector. It should be appreciated that any number ofinsert apertures 206 may be included within theshield termination fixture 204 according to thetray connector 110 to which it is attached. - The
wire shield retainer 210 is a structure that may be secured to thebase 208 for terminating awire shield 218 between thewire shield retainer 210 and the base 208 as described below with respect toFIG. 2B . As will become clear fromFIGS. 2C-5B and the corresponding description below, thewire shield retainer 210 may be formed as a unified piece of material that is substantially the same size and footprint as the base 208 to which it is attached, may be formed in sections to facilitate installation, may be formed as smaller bars or sections having a different footprint when compared to the base 208 to which it is installed, or any combination thereof. - The
cable shield retainer 212 is a structure that may be secured to the base 208 or to thewire shield retainer 210 for terminating acable shield 214 between thecable shield retainer 212 and the underlyingwire shield retainer 210. Various embodiments for terminating thecable shield 214 will be described in detail below. -
FIG. 2C shows an embodiment in which thewire shield retainer 210 and thecable shield retainer 212 are identical in form, mirroring the top surface of thebase 208. In this embodiment, the two retainers may be secured to the base, one on top of the other, compressing acable shield 214 andwire shield 218 between the surfaces. As can be seen inFIG. 2C , each component (thebase 208, thewire shield retainer 210, and the cable shield retainer 212) of theshield termination fixture 204 may be manufactured in sections (shown as three sections per component) to facilitate installation. By sectionalizing or splitting the components of theshield termination fixture 204, each component can be installed or removed without removing disconnecting thecable 202 from thetray connector 110. It should be appreciated that any number and configuration of sections may be utilized without departing from the scope of this disclosure. - Looking now at
FIG. 2B , one embodiment for terminating awire shield 218 and thecable shield 214 will be described.FIG. 2B shows a partial cross-section along line A-A of a similarshield termination fixture 204 andtray connector 110 as that shown ofFIG. 2A . Thecable 202 includes asignal wire 216 connected to thetray connector 110 and thecorresponding wire shield 218 to be terminated. To terminate thewire shield 218, thewire shield 218 is positioned between a top surface of thebase 208 and a bottom surface of thewire shield retainer 210. Any number and type offasteners 220 may be used to secure thewire shield retainer 210 to thebase 208. After terminating thewire shield 218, thecable shield 214 may be similarly terminated between thecable shield retainer 212 and thewire shield retainer 210 usingadditional fasteners 220. It should be noted that thefasteners 220 used for securing thewire shield retainer 210 to the base 208 may be offset from thefasteners 220 used to secure thecable shield retainer 212 to thewire shield retainer 210 and countersunk to prevent interference with thecable shield retainer 212. - It should be understood that the configuration of the
base 208,wire shield retainer 210, andcable shield retainer 212 shown inFIG. 2B is slightly different from that shown inFIG. 2A to illustrate different embodiments of theshield termination fixture 204. InFIG. 2B , the top and bottom surfaces of thewire shield retainer 210 andcable shield retainer 212 are convex and concave, respectively, such that they nest within one another and with the convex top surface of the base 208 when secured with thefastener 220. In contrast, the surfaces of the components of theshield termination fixture 204 shown inFIG. 2A are flat. Although the various surfaces are shown as being concave/convex and flat, many geometries may be used, including but not limited to wedges and various complementary male and female knurling features. In the various examples, thewire shield 218 is terminated immediately adjacent to theinsert aperture 206, keeping the shield short and minimizing undesirable crosstalk between cables. The short length of the wire shields 218 being terminated utilizing the embodiments described herein provides an advantage over conventional connector backshells. - An additional feature shown in
FIG. 2B that is not shown inFIG. 2A is a shieldtip protection mechanism 222 for protecting the tips of thewire shield 218 andcable shield 214 from rubbing against another cable, connector, or shield in the electronics cabinet. The shieldtip protection mechanism 222 includes a projection of the base 208 outwards and then upwards to create a channel in which the shield tips rest. It should be appreciated that the structure of the base 208 may be altered in any manner to prevent the shield tips from exposure without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Similarly, the shieldtip protection mechanism 222 may be incorporated into any other component of theshield termination fixture 204 or may be attached to theshield termination fixture 204. -
FIG. 3A shows an alternative configuration of theshield termination fixture 204 in which thewire shield retainer 210 and thecable shield retainer 212 are sized according to eachindividual insert aperture 206. Doing so allows for the installation and removal of acable 202 and thecorresponding wire shield 218 and/orcable shield 214 within asingle insert aperture 206 without affecting the cable terminations ofcables 202 inother insert apertures 206. As seen, thewire shield retainer 210 and thecable shield retainer 212 may be configured in two or more pieces that when installed, form a contiguous, closed loop around the perimeter of thecorresponding insert aperture 206. -
FIG. 3B shows theshield termination fixture 204 configuration described above with respect toFIG. 3A with an alternative cable shield termination mechanism to the compression termination described above. Here, thecable shield 214 is fixedly or permanently attached to thecable shield retainer 212. Thecable shield 214 may be attached via soldering, conductive adhesive, or any other suitable method for electrically and physically binding the two components. This embodiment allows a technician to utilize apre-installed cable shield 214 during the cable installation process to simplify the task. As seen inFIG. 3C , thecable shield 214 is fixedly attached to thecable shield retainer 212 so that the technician only has to electrically connect the braidsock, which is pre-installed on the cable shield retainer, to the cable overbraid shield, connect thesignal wire 216 to thetray connector 110, position thewire shield 218 between the base 208 and thewire shield retainer 210, secure the wire shield retainer to the base 208 usingfasteners 220, and then secure thecable shield retainer 212 to the wire shield retainer usingadditional fasteners 220. It should be understood that thecable shield 214 may be attached directly to thewire shield retainer 210 without requiring the use of thecable shield retainer 212. - An alternative embodiment of a
shield termination fixture 204 that utilizes awire shield retainer 210 without acable shield retainer 212 is shown inFIGS. 4A-4D .FIGS. 4A and 4B show a base 208 and awire shield retainer 210 that is configured to install within aninsert aperture 206. In this example, there are sixinsert apertures 206, each having awire shield retainer 210 installed withfasteners 220. As seen inFIG. 4B , eachfastener 220 may be utilized to secure twoadjacent shield retainers 210 to thebase 208.FIGS. 4C and 4D are cross-sectional views of thebase 208 andwire shield retainer 210 along lines A-A and B-B, respectively, ofFIGS. 4A and 4B . According to this implementation, the surface of the base walls surrounding theinsert apertures 206 extends upward and away from theinsert apertures 206 to create anaperture entry 406. An outer surface of the correspondingwire shield retainer 210 is similarly shaped such that thewire shield retainer 210 is configured as a male plug sized for insertion into the femalereceptacle aperture entry 406.FIG. 4D shows termination of thewire shield 218 and thecable shield 214 by compressing the shields between thewire shield retainer 210 and thebase 208. - Yet another alternative embodiment of the
shield termination fixture 204 is shown inFIGS. 5A and 5B . This embodiment utilizes male and female engaging surfaces of thebase 208 andwire shield retainer 210 such that thewire shield retainer 210 nests within thebase 208, or conversely, such that the base 208 nests within thewire shield retainer 210. In this embodiment, rather than utilizing awire shield retainer 210 configured in a closed loop around theinsert aperture 206, either as a single piece or as multiple contiguous sections, thewire shield retainer 210 is configured as one or more bar clamps secured within one or more recesses in thebase 208. - These bar clamps may be configured as linear members or members of various geometry. As one example, the dark lines along the top surface of the base walls surrounding the
insert apertures 206 ofFIG. 5A show boundaries of various recesses and bar clamps. The bar clamps may be strategically positioned at locations adjacent to theinsert apertures 206 for mating with thebase 208 and providing compression shield termination. - Turning now to
FIG. 6 , anillustrative routine 600 for terminating acable 202 at atray connector 110 in a limited clearance environment will now be described in detail. It should be appreciated that more or fewer operations may be performed than shown in theFIG. 6 and described herein. Moreover, these operations may also be performed in a different order than those described herein. The routine 600 begins atoperation 602, where thecable 202 is routed through aninsert aperture 206 of theshield termination fixture 204. Fromoperation 602, the routine 600 continues tooperation 604, where asignal wire 216 of thecable 202 is connected to thetray connector 110. - At
operation 606, awire shield 218 is positioned over a top surface of the base 208 adjacent to theinsert aperture 206. The routine 600 continues tooperation 608, where awire shield retainer 210 is positioned over the top surface of thebase 208 for fastening. Atoperation 610, a determination is made as to whether acable shield retainer 212 is to be used. As described above, according to various embodiments, thecable shield 214 may be terminated at thewire shield retainer 210 rather than utilizing acable shield retainer 212. If acable shield retainer 212 is not to be used, the routine 600 proceeds tooperation 612, where a determination is made as to whether thecable shield 214 is pre-installed on thewire shield retainer 210. As described above, thecable shield 214 may be soldered or otherwise fixedly attached to thewire shield retainer 210. If acable shield 214 is pre-installed, then the routine 600 proceeds tooperation 620, where thewire shield retainer 210 is secured to the base 208 withfasteners 220 and the routine 600 ends. - However, if at
operation 612, acable shield 214 is not pre-installed on thewire shield retainer 210, the routine 600 continues tooperation 614, where it is determined whether a fixed attachment of thecable shield 214 to thewire shield retainer 210 is desired. If a fixed attachment is desired, then thecable shield 214 is installed on thewire shield retainer 210 via soldering or other means atoperation 616. The routine continues tooperation 620, where thewire shield retainer 210 is secured to the base 208 usingfasteners 220 and the routine 600 ends. However, if atoperation 614, it is determined that a fixed attachment of thecable shield 214 to thewire shield retainer 210 is not desired, then the routine 600 proceeds tooperation 618, where thecable shield 214 is positioned between thewire shield retainer 210 and thebase 208 for compression termination. The routine 600 continues fromoperation 618 tooperation 620, where thewire shield retainer 210 is secured to thebase 208 and the routine 600 ends. - Returning to
operation 610, if a determination is made that acable shield retainer 212 is to be used, then the routine 600 proceeds tooperation 622, where a determination is made as to whether thecable shield 214 is pre-installed on thecable shield retainer 212. If thecable shield 214 is pre-installed, then the routine 600 proceeds tooperation 620, where thecable shield retainer 212,wire shield retainer 210, andbase 208 are secured together withfasteners 220 and the routine 600 ends. However, if atoperation 622, acable shield 214 is not pre-installed on thecable shield retainer 212, the routine 600 continues tooperation 624, where it is determined whether a fixed attachment of thecable shield 214 to thecable shield retainer 212 is desired. - If a fixed attachment is desired, then the
cable shield 214 is installed on thecable shield retainer 212 via soldering or other means atoperation 626. The routine continues tooperation 620, where thecable shield retainer 212,wire shield retainer 210, andbase 208 are secured together withfasteners 220 and the routine 600 ends. However, if atoperation 624, it is determined that a fixed attachment of thecable shield 214 to thecable shield retainer 212 is not desired, then the routine 600 proceeds tooperation 618, where thecable shield 214 is positioned between thecable shield retainer 212 and thewire shield retainer 210 for compression termination. The routine 600 continues fromoperation 618 tooperation 620, where thecable shield retainer 212,wire shield retainer 210, andbase 208 are secured together withfasteners 220 and the routine 600 ends. - The subject matter described above is provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed as limiting. Various modifications and changes may be made to the subject matter described herein without following the example embodiments and applications illustrated and described, and without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention, which is set forth in the following claims.
Claims (20)
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US12/128,770 US7736185B2 (en) | 2008-05-29 | 2008-05-29 | Connector shield termination in limited clearance installations |
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US12/128,770 US7736185B2 (en) | 2008-05-29 | 2008-05-29 | Connector shield termination in limited clearance installations |
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US20090298335A1 true US20090298335A1 (en) | 2009-12-03 |
US7736185B2 US7736185B2 (en) | 2010-06-15 |
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Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US20100073899A1 (en) * | 2008-09-19 | 2010-03-25 | The Boeing Company | Bulkhead mount equipment shelf rack tray |
US20100088731A1 (en) * | 2008-10-02 | 2010-04-08 | Thales Avionics, Inc. | Adaptable configuration plug in a vehicle entertainment system |
US10490954B1 (en) * | 2017-01-06 | 2019-11-26 | Rockwell Collins, Inc. | EMI hardened displayport interface |
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BE794947A (en) * | 1972-02-02 | 1973-08-02 | Raychem Corp | CONNECTION METHOD AND DEVICE |
US4124319A (en) * | 1977-12-30 | 1978-11-07 | Hollingsead Enterprises, Inc. | Support plate for avionics connector shell |
US4234756A (en) * | 1979-03-29 | 1980-11-18 | Reliable Electric Company | Preterminated block system and method of installing same |
US4453797A (en) * | 1981-04-09 | 1984-06-12 | Hollingsead International Inc. | Avionic electrical connector mounting apparatus |
US4534608A (en) * | 1984-05-21 | 1985-08-13 | Sperry Corporation | Shielded connector shell for flat cable |
US5710393A (en) * | 1995-05-17 | 1998-01-20 | The Whitaker Corporation | Modular array termination for multiconductor electrical cables |
US5716236A (en) * | 1996-03-01 | 1998-02-10 | Molex Incorporated | System for terminating the shield of a high speed cable |
US7098808B2 (en) * | 2002-09-30 | 2006-08-29 | Aviation Communication & Surveillance Systems, Llc | System having termination for data loading port |
US7074073B2 (en) * | 2004-01-15 | 2006-07-11 | The Boeing Company | Electrical connector insert and apparatus and associated fabrication method |
US8526881B2 (en) * | 2005-04-18 | 2013-09-03 | The Boeing Company | Mechanically isolated wireless communications system and method |
US7553187B2 (en) * | 2006-01-31 | 2009-06-30 | 3M Innovative Properties Company | Electrical connector assembly |
-
2008
- 2008-05-29 US US12/128,770 patent/US7736185B2/en active Active
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20100073899A1 (en) * | 2008-09-19 | 2010-03-25 | The Boeing Company | Bulkhead mount equipment shelf rack tray |
US8035956B2 (en) * | 2008-09-19 | 2011-10-11 | The Boeing Company | Bulkhead mount equipment shelf rack tray |
US20100088731A1 (en) * | 2008-10-02 | 2010-04-08 | Thales Avionics, Inc. | Adaptable configuration plug in a vehicle entertainment system |
US10490954B1 (en) * | 2017-01-06 | 2019-11-26 | Rockwell Collins, Inc. | EMI hardened displayport interface |
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US7736185B2 (en) | 2010-06-15 |
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